In 1993, Dan Hanlon had a dream to design and build brand new American made motorcycles, and secured the names Excelsior and Henderson previously owned by Schwinn. Hanlon set out to raise funds and to design and build cruiser and touring motorcycles. Early on, the company secured nearly $100 million in start-up money, and built a new plant in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. They proceeded to design the “Super X” – an air-cooled big twin that would be completely manufactured at the new plant.
The first motorcycle produced by the company rolled off the assembly line in early 1999. Unfortunately for the company, the production capacity of 10,000 motorcycles a year at that new plant would never be realized. The financial crisis of 2000 resulted in the company not having an expected infusion of cash, and eventually the company filed for bankruptcy. Before that, Excelsior Henderson produced 1851 motorcycles.
This motorcycle was number 1073 off the assembly line. Never removed from the crate, this particular bike was donated to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. The crate itself is part of what sets this motorcycle apart – when the crates left the factory, many of the employees signed the ends of the crate.
Even though a limited number of bikes were produced, the company did receive considerable press before the production and when they actually sent out the first bikes. In one such article, Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine reviewed the new bikes. The article concluded by saying:
“Even though our two rides were both brief (less than six hours total), what we experienced suggests Excelsior-Henderson has put its motorcycle where its press releases were. Handling, ride and engine performance all appear to be comparable with and perhaps better than much of the competition.
With such limited seat time and no side-by-side comparison, it’s impossible to say exactly where we would have ranked the Super X among the other big twins. It also remains to be seen if, at about $20,000 a pop out the door, the Super X has what it takes to sell the 4000 to 5000 units the company plans to build this year.”
You might still see a Super X on the street occasionally, but you can always stop by the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and take a look at the one we’ve got here.
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